Growing up and Growing older on Random Island
A lot of memories of growing up seem to have food in them. I guess because most of our socializing was done over a cup of tea, or a meal, or even a community supper. We used to say that we had to eat in shifts because the table wasn’t big enough for everyone to […]
Nowadays we have foods we never heard of (and likely would have been wary to taste) when we were young kids. I mean in the early 70’s who had heard of butter chicken? Or Shrimp Pad Thai? We get foods and flavours from all over the world now, and we are better for it of […]
Is keepin ’em lit! I know I know, bad joke! But was thinking about years back and how lots of fishermen’s stages had a smoker on the side of them. I don’t recall any ever in use, but Roy’s stage back in Apsey Brook had one, and was often a good spot to hide when […]
The other night I had a memory of being on the grass on Celie Burt’s garden in Elliott’s Cove, with Tony Burt I believe, but that part of the memory is foggy. Its my most vivid memory of eating something we all ate as kids I’m sure; sweet leaves. Eric and I were trying to […]
Growing up back home, pizza was a foreign commodity, we’d heard of it, but there was none around Clarenville at all. The only pizza we saw were the (I think) chef boyardee pizza kits, with a can of sauce and dough mix that was never big enough to cover the pan and some herbs to […]
So Pam Anderson was back home yesterday, offering money for people to stop sealing. People seem to fail to understand that the seal hunt isn’t clubbing babies anymore. Its as humane as any hunt can be, and more so than any slaughterhouse. Yes seal furs are used for clothing, but so is cow leather. Seals […]
Tuesday is Bonfire Night! Guy Fawkes night for some, though I can’t remember ever, as a kid, knowing what bonfire night represented except a good time! I don’t think the tradition is as strong as it once was. When I was a teen, we’d have been cutting trees for months, I remember one year starting […]
The fair back home means only one thing, Thomas Amusements. When I was younger I’m pretty sure there was a second one too; maybe Kavanaugh, Kincaid? I forget for sure. In any event, for many, less so me, it was a highlight, or two depending on how often they came to town, of summer. These […]
Over the weekend, my buddy Bernard and I were discussing a memory of growing up in pretty much anywhere in small town Canada. For people of my generation, a trip to The Pop Shoppe was a fun and regular occurrence. Unlike traditional pop, and before the time of so many store brand pops, there was The […]
For some reason a discussion of yogurt in food reminded me of this old staple, fussel’s cream! While I loved fresh cream, I can’t say I cared for this back in the day, but maybe I would now. Only problem is I’m not even sure it exists anymore! But Sunday evening’s supper wasn’t complete for […]
Brush that Stout off your Back! And Mind the Hornets!
Sweet Leaves, Frankum, and Spruce Buds